Pistachio Birthday Cake

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Last Sunday was the Husband’s BIRTHDAY!! So I baked him a cake, at the very last minute.

Allow me to back up for a second.

I have never been a full-fledged baker before. The baking pans in my pantry are pretty scarce and I’ve never thought of baking a two-tier cake before. I’ve always tried to minimize the size of cake I choose to bake when its feeding only the two of us, so a tiered cake was always out of the picture.

Or perhaps the idea of “frosting” intimidates the heck out of me?

So I drove to the store to pick out another cake pan, assuming the one I had at home was a 9inch pan.

Wrong.

I had a 10 inch pan waiting for me as soon as I rushed home to bake the birthday boy a cake. Never assume my friends, never.

And never ever procrastinate.

Did I just use another huge word?

Anyhoo, crisis was averted by making one whole cake using the 9 inch pan, and halving cake was the best option at that time.

Or at least I thought it was.

After completely slathering the cake with frosting, I took a step back and realized something was off-putting. The top tier was not leveled. It was slightly puffed and definitely needed a slice to level.

Argh!!!

The Husband definitely heard some swearing in between and knew I had my stress levels through the roof!!!

He came to the rescue, took one look at the cake and smiled. That smile definitely got me thinking about imperfection. There’s nothing wrong with a lop-sided cake. The flavors were spot on and I wish I had it leveled but that day was not about how perfect the cake needs to be.

That day was about the Husband & celebrating his life. Our life 🙂

I love you so much.

Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other never forgets them — Ogden Nash

A lovely cake! I kinda like the lopsided top, makes the cake look homemade and has an old fashioned charm! I also need to get 6 inch cake pans. This is one reason I don’t experiment much with cakes, because it always ends up being too much. Not that I don’t like to eat it, I promptly go for a serving after every meal, even breakfast 😀 But then the guilt builds up!!!Ambika recently posted..Dutch Crunch Bread – Daring Baker’s Challenge March 2012

I love reading your post always Kiran but my friend this post made me smile too…
Smile on how true it is that marriage is beyond perfection, It is truly a celebration of Imperfection and the love which makes it so beautiful!!
A Very Happy Birthday to Your Better Half…
And trust me this cake does look very gorgeous!!!

I enjoyed every moment of this post! I love in Denver which is a mile high or 5,280 up in the air which makes baking problematic. Cakes rise and fall due to atmospheric pressure (or lack of it) and I always have to modify the recipes I make to try and get them to work for ME (I cite ingredients for what we call ‘flatlanders’).

So to hear of your tale I couldn’t help but chuckle…I deal with this stuff each and every time and you have done what I told someone just recently…it’s not always about the ingredients when you bake something, it’s about how you manage if something goes awry. And you managed just fine…cake looks fabulous!Barbara | Creative Culinary recently posted..Espresso Hot Fudge Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

Belated happy birthday to your husband 🙂 The cake looks yum, that frosting is awesome…for a cake to not rise at the centre, rather rise uniformly all over you need to use something called the magic strips…I had put in the link in my strawberry cake post…you can buy these or just make it at home…really helps if you are planning to do a frosting…that said, I like the look of this cake as well…and your husband looks happy, so mission accomplished 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway, or should I thank random.org ? 🙂 Will shoot you an email soon…Suchi recently posted..Fhuchka- An Ever Popular Kolkata Snack…

Belated wishes to your husband……cake looks extremely yum…..love the addition of pistachios to it……even the cake stand looks superb……love the simple deco in the cake pic….Congrats to the winners and thank you so much for picking me up…i just can’t believe my eyes till now…..Lubna Karim recently posted..Sambhar Sadam

Happy Birthday to your Hubby! I have never baked a tiered cake and never really done a ‘proper’ frosting so I understand how you feel. You have done great job!chinmayie @ love food eat recently posted..Banana Apricot Muffins (Whole Wheat & Vegan)

I love the ingredient list for this!! Quite like your pear cake…?? Which was SO delish and so easy. Plus your cake is very pretty… no need to fret at all!! xoxoEm (Wine and Butter) recently posted..Orange Infused Beef Stew

Happy Birthday to your husband! Seriously congrats to you to make a cake!!! I was shocked to see you and I were similar in a way that we’re afraid of “cake” and “frosting”. But you did it my friend! You step up. I’m still here scared of cake, frosting, and two layers? Ohhhhh not in my comfort zone… I won’t be too worried about the size of cake (heehee) but still, I feel fear… so really, GREAT JOB! I’m so proud of you. One day when you see my first cake, you will know this cake is MUCH better than mine… 😉Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted..Spinach and Feta Turnovers – Guest Post by Katherine Martinelli

Hi Kiran,
This cake looks fantastic! I think the imperfections look nice, like it’s a home made cake and not out of some factory. Glad your husband loved it. You are such a sweet and loving wife. He is lucky to have you.Asmita recently posted..Red Berry Trifle

happy birthday hubby! this looks delicious. so funny, i just ate a pistachio cake from magnolia last week and i didnt’ like it at all cuz the frosting was made with meringue frosting. infact, i emailed them telling them to use buttercream. yours looks divine!!!! love that quote, sent it to my hubbs.honeywhatscooking recently posted..Bakery: Choc O Pain (Hoboken, NJ)

I like your husband 🙂 He sounds a lot like mine (and I would be the one cursing 😉 The cake is beautiful! I agree that sometimes a few imperfections can make it even more special. Well done!the wicked noodle recently posted..lemon tiramisu {with homemade lemon curd}

I’m sure the cake was great, but I feel your pain. Today is my husband’s birthday. Yesterday I was very sick and my plans to bake were ruined. Not still feeling great I attempted to make a strawberry cake. It was a disaster, never rising, and as heavy as a kettle ball. And, to think I just placed second in a cupcake a contest Saturday but can’t make a nice cake for my husband’s birthday. But he is alive, healthy and we’ve had a happy day. That’s all that matters. As for your swearing in the kitchen, I truly understand. Happy Birthday to your husband.

Awww what a sweet post. You can feel the love you share for your husband, and he sounds quite similar to my fiance. Your cake is beautiful though, and I think somethings are more beautiful because of their imperfections.

Cute post, I think everyone that has baked a cake has had this happen to them. It always seems to happen when we want it to be perfect. Next time, make that 6 inch cake and use the rest of the batter for cupcakes. Freeze them and have cake another time. You can always decorate the cupcakes with whipped cream and fruit or ice cream…. I’ve never had pistachio cake before. Something I need to try. Happy baking!

awwww… That is so sweet Kiran!!! What a happy and cute couple you guys are! Your post brought a smile to my face and I enjoyed reading it! Your husband must be so impressed with your delicious pistachio cake! I <3 <3 pistachio btw. lol. Funny that it actually happened to me before as well! For some reason I assumed my springform pan was the same size as my regular sized pan when I wanted to make a layered "cheesecake-sponge cake" cake. That was quite an adventure… haha.. At least now you have pans of different sizes!! 😀Sammie recently posted..Les Croissants

Happy birthday to Tarun! I forgot to mention that the other day I read your story of how u both met and it really made me feel warm & fuzzy (I’m a hopeless romantic)! This cake looks fabulous: moist and perfect cake to icing ratio :)! And I definitely agree about imperfections- they’re what make us perfect in our own ways!Khushboo Thadani recently posted..Wednesday Waffle

I hear you about baking. Actually, I just posted a cake recipe on my blog, and in the post I discuss exactly that, how I am a cook, but not a baker.Biana | Meal Planning Tips recently posted..Bundt Cake Recipes With Mascarpone Frosting

Oh, honey, some of my baking efforts make your cake look like a million bucks. Imperfection really is beautiful, especially when there is love involved. The cake looks and sounds yummy. A very happy birthday to your hubby!

Happy Belated Birthday to your better half! I remember making my hubby my first birthday cake – and it was from the box! We’re still together 🙂Yudith @ Blissfully Delicious recently posted..Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

this cake looks perfect! you wouldn’t guess your stress levels from it’s appearance! I can completely sympathies with the added pressure you pu on yourself when you are baking for the love of your life, last year my boyfriend’s birthday cake collapsed en route and it was heart breaking!Jenny @ BAKE recently posted..IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!

What a great post 🙂 One good thing I always say when something doesn’t look as I planned it to be “Hey – it’s rustic.” Food might not appear perfect – but when it’s made with love it always is, IMO.Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos recently posted..Tried and True: Coq Au Sauvignon Blanc

LOL I always get lopsided cakes when I halve them to make layers. It used to bug me a lot before but now I’ve just learned to give in to taste more than looks. Plus, you’ll soon learn to mask the lopsidedness with clever frosting 😉 What a lovely gesture of love for your husband’s birthday!Amrita (Beetlebuggy) recently posted..Candied Sweet Potatoes by Elizabeth Andoh

Perfectionism is sometimes a curse and truly we must know when to congratulate ourselves for just being good. Hope your lovely partner had a great day. The cake looks delicioustania@mykitchenstories recently posted..Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tarts

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